Match report by Chris Hudson

The lowest home league crowd of the season saw AFC Telford United boost their promotion prospects with a vital win.

Just 1,482 supporters ventured out to see the Bucks maintain their solid home record.

It may have been the Champions League action on television that kept them away, or just a case of saving funds for the Setanta Shield final at Forest Green tomorrow night.

Whatever the reason, the stayaway fans missed an entertaining game of football.

It was the Bucks who took the points but Harrogate certainly played their part and showed why they had come into the game as one of the division’s form sides.

We were treated to some good goals, some decent saves and drama too, with a late red card for Harrogate keeper Jonathan Hedges.

Telford bossed the early exchanges, with Danny Edwards’ delivery from set-pieces proving a particularly fruitful option.

Headed

That was the source of the opener on 16 minutes, the winger’s corner from the left being headed goalwards by Andy Brown, with Ricky Sappleton deflecting it in for his first home goal.

Harrogate might have levelled just eight minutes later, skipper Darren Dunning unleashing a fierce 20-yard free-kick that rocketed past Young and came down off the underside of the bar.

That served a warning that the Yorkshire side had some potential match-winners in their ranks, and indeed it was Dunning who carved out the equaliser.

He played a good ball in to James Dean, who was given the freedom of the penalty area to pick his spot in the bottom corner.

It was the Bucks who finished the half on top though, and they would have been in front but for two terrific saves from Hedges.

The first was to deny Brown, who headed powerfully down off Lee Vaughan’s cross but could only watch with head in hands as the keeper threw himself left to scoop it away.

Moments later it was Gavin Cowan’s turn to be denied as his shot off another Edwards corner was also turned away.

Hedges was at it again in the second half as Telford pressed to restore their lead. He saved again off another Brown header from Edwards’ free-kick then gratefully held onto Stuart Whitehead’s effort.

Even then the Bucks could not see off Harrogate completely, and Dean might even have put his side into a shock lead as he held off the attention of Cowan but shanked his shot wide.

It was to be a costly mistake as, just 60 seconds later, the hosts went ahead thanks to Brown’s bicycle kick.

It was Brown, too, who notched the third – taking his tally for the season to a healthy 20.

He converted from the spot after Hedges had brought down substitute Steve Jagielka.

The keeper got his marching orders, with Jamie Smith donning the gloves – and his first job was to retrieve the ball from the net as Brown sent him the wrong way.

The former Nuneaton striker also had a chance to complete a hat-trick in injury-time, but headed wide off Jagielka’s cross.

It made little difference as the Bucks took another big step towards the play-offs.

They now have a seven-point cushion to Stalybridge, the first side outside the top five, and – crucially – a game in hand as well.

It’s a position they shouldn’t let slip and the smiles at the final whistle told of a side starting to believe once more after their recent wobbles.

There’s no time for reflecting on a job well done however, mas it’s straight back to action tomorrow with that televised cup final at Forest Green.

That promises to be an enjoyable occasion, but this was the more important game.